10 Characters We'd Like to See on AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Three

Make Mine Marvel's obscure characters!

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Two seasons in, and we know that it’s a great, big Universe out there. From a Kree body to Deathlok, from various named Agents to villains like Graviton, and of course the Inhumans, the Marvel Universe is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s oyster.

With the third season debuting this week, we thought it was time to look at this list once more. Interestingly, not one of these characters made it in previous seasons (or the Marvel Cinematic Universe at all), but now that the world is a little more open, we’re hopeful that we can see an appearance from at least one or two of these characters.

So, here's a list of 10 characters from Marvel comics that deserve an appearance in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While there are easily hundreds of characters that could work, these are the ten that might have the most to contribute to an ongoing TV series alongside Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his crew.

REB RALSTON

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Robert "Rebel" Ralston, most often called "Reb," was a member of the Howling Commandos (Nick Fury's elite commando unit in World War II) who went on to become a senator, and one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s closest government allies.

While Nick Fury's cinematic origins are unclear, it doesn't appear that he's as miraculously old as his comic book counterpart, effectively ruling out a WWII-based origin. That doesn't mean that he wasn't in command of an elite unit of soldiers in his history, and using an established character like Reb Ralston as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s liaison to the government would be a nice nod to fans, and a good way to hint at some of Fury's cinematic history.

THE WRECKER

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The Wrecker may be kind of a goon, but as a super strong thug who got his powers from Loki, he'd fit right into a small-screen branch of Marvel's cinematic universe.

With or without his trademark crowbar or his crew, The Wrecker's powers and attitude are simple and adaptable enough to make it to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. intact, providing the villains of the show with some well pedigreed muscle, and a simple but effective connection to Asgard and Loki.

PHOBOS

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Phobos was the young son of Ares, the Greek god of war, who possessed powers of illusion based on fear, and who Nick Fury tapped as part of his secret team of superhumans during Secret Invasion.

Even without introducing Ares, the idea of a young boy with power over fear would make for a great story of the week, and while becoming a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent might strain credibility for the show, his connection to Nick Fury could lead to some interesting implications, while also opening the door to a whole other area of Marvel's mythology.

Even more so given the impending introduction of the Secret Warriors, from which Phobos was a big part of.

CLAY QUARTERMAIN

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Originally the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison to General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who has his own Marvel cinematic history, Clay Quartermain later became the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Paranormal Containment Unit," a team dedicated to dealing with the supernatural and unexplained.

There are obvious implications as to how Quartermain, and by extension his division, could fit into the world of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., bringing with him the kind of sci-fi weirdness of shows like Fringe or The X-Files, and further connecting S.H.I.E.L.D. to the world of the Hulk with his connection to Thunderbolt Ross.

THE TINKERER

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Phineas Mason, a.k.a. The Tinkerer, is an aging scientist and engineer who uses his vast intelligence to create weapons and gadgets for criminals and supervillains.

While the Tinkerer's subplot would basically write itself — the idea of a low-level weapons supplier building devices that can rival S.H.I.E.L.D. tech is perfect grist for the mill — Tinkerer could act as something of a throughline to connect seemingly disparate incidents and adventures into an overarching meta-plot for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

AGENT BRAND

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We don’t think Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is ready for a full-on S.W.O.R.D. spin-off yet, but with season 3 focused largely (at least in th beginning) on the Inhumans, the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who’s best-known for heading up the offshoot in charge of extraterrestrial threats seems like a natural fit, despite her unnatural hair color.

The comic books' Brand is half-alien and half mutant, and while it might be a little too soon for the former and 20th Century Fox would probably have an issue with the latter, a half-Inhuman seems like a logical compromise.

Add to that series co-creator and former executive producer Joss Whedon co-created the character, you gotta wonder if Brand’s appearance is more a matter of when than if.

A.I.M.

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Advanced Idea Mechanics — A.I.M. — is a collective of brilliant but misguided scientists whose quest for power and profit has often allied them with supervillains, and against Marvel's premiere heroes.

Now that A.I.M. has been established in the Marvel cinematic universe with Iron Man 3, there are no better candidates — besides Coulson, obviously — to make the jump to television. A.I.M. splinter cells and operatives are obvious rivals for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., perhaps even with the trademark "beekeeper" suits intact.

Fenris Twins

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Baron Strucker was killed by Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but that doesn't mean the end for the Strucker name. An interesting addition to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rogues gallery would be the Fenris Twins, a.k.a. Adrea and Andreas von Strucker. Like a twisted version of Marvel's other twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, the Fenris duo could be a striking addition -- both visually and narratively.

The Ultimate version of the siblings are particularly apt to fit into the MCU landscape -- leaders of Fenris International, an investment banking firm that's actually a front for their villainous acts.

Sure, the fact that they debuted in an X-Men title might mean some messy rights issues with 20th Century Fox -- but as kids of a MCU character with Baron Strucker, maybe they'd be grandfathered in.

TASKMASTER

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Taskmaster is a mercenary who has often straddled the fence between hero and villain, but who has most often used his power to replicate any movements and fighting styles he has witnessed, as the premier trainer of henchmen for supervillains in the Marvel universe.

Though the cape and pirate boots may be a little much for the world of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the idea of a villain who can replicate the moves of Captain America (or anyone else) and can pass that knowledge on to others is solid gold. Plus, as a fan-favorite character, seeing Taskmaster in action — hopefully with at least the skull mask intact — would be a real treat.

SCORPIO AND THE ZODIAC

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Several people have worn the Scorpio mantle over the years, including Nick Fury himself, but the most prominent version was Nick's brother Jake, as a part of the enigmatic supervillain cartel the Zodiac.

Setting up the Zodiac as a rival organization to S.H.I.E.L.D., secretly run by Nick Fury's brother, is the kind of premise that whole TV shows are built on. It would be easy enough to turn the Zodiac from superpowered criminals into a cadre of criminal masterminds and spies while maintaining the flavor of the comic version, and crafting a credible set of nemeses for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.